


By Omission

by Cat_Fishy



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, Inspired by Music, Lies, Light Angst, Pearl Solidarity (Steven Universe), Secrets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-17
Updated: 2018-08-17
Packaged: 2019-06-28 15:05:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15709668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cat_Fishy/pseuds/Cat_Fishy
Summary: Find my bones in the bottles in the oak treeMy old ghosts never fail to catch up to meLittle sister, thief of peaceLet the crows of war cease their battle cryAnd let these memories die- Ghost of a Lie (The Accidentals)(In which Blue Pearl contemplates genocide, Yellow Pearl makes a discovery, and everyone is hurting.)





	By Omission

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired in large part by a song from a local band. Please listen to [Ghost of a Lie](https://moreaccidentals.bandcamp.com/track/ghost-of-a-lie). It fits the Pearls so perfectly, and is just a great song in general.

As the dust cleared, Blue Pearl got the briefest glimpse of the famed Renegade Pearl. For a moment she could hardly believe it, but she recognized this Pearl. The shape and location of her gem, her unusually colorful form... The Renegade was Pink Diamond's.  
The other Pearl must have caught her staring, because she shook her head slightly as she turned around and raised her swords (swords? Where did she get those? And more importantly, where did she learn to use them so effectively? Blue Pearl, like most Gems, was honestly terrified of the Rebel Pearl) to attack the Sapphire.  
Her Diamond needed to know about this. _Pink_ Diamond needed to know about this. And yet... Something about the look on the other Pearl's face when she saw Blue made her hesitate. If the Diamonds found out about this, Pink Diamond's Pearl would be shattered.  
And her gem shape! Baroque Pearls were on shaky ground as it was. If it got out that one had managed to defy a Diamond? Every single one would be destroyed. The thought of being directly responsible for the deaths of hundreds of innocent Pearls was sickening.  
No. She wouldn't tell her Diamond about the other Pearl. Blue wouldn't put her sister in danger unnecessarily, no matter how cracked she had to be. If her Diamond asked about the Renegade Pearl, she would have to answer truthfully, of course, but until then, Pearl would keep silent.  
Blue Pearl was good at keeping secrets.  
She was curious though. How could she fight for the rebellion, while serving a Diamond of all gems? Didn't Pink notice her Pearl was so often missing? Did she not take her everywhere she went, as Blue and Yellow Diamond did?  
Fortunately, nobody ever thought to ask a mere Pearl what she knew about the Crystal Gems. Unfortunately, in the wake of Pink Diamond's shattering, the other Diamonds retaliated by destroying the rebels and loyal gems alike. Very little time was given to evacuate, and Pink Pearl was not one of the few who had been saved.  
It was at this point that Blue chose to tell Yellow Pearl.

“Where are you taking me?” Yellow’s voice sounded deafeningly loud in the tiny room Blue had brought her to. “I don't have time for whatever this is! My Diamond is now doing your Diamond's work and needs my help filing all the-”  
“Shh!”  
Yellow continued, only slightly softer, “paperwork and I am very busy so-”  
“Then shut up and listen to me!” Blue hissed.  
Yellow took a surprised step backwards, nodding.  
“Good. Now.” She projected an image of Pink Diamond's Pearl.  
“Is that what this is about? She's gone, Blue!”  
Blue glared. “I know that. But just watch, please?” She moved the first hologram aside to make room for another, this time replaying the moment she met the Renegade shortly before the Sapphire and Ruby fused.  
“The Renegade? She's gone too.” For the first time since hearing that Pink Diamond's Pearl had been left behind, Yellow’s voice shook. “Why would you show me this?!”  
“Do you see it?”  
“I… I don't know what you're talking about!”  
Blue suspected she was lying, but she placed the two holograms side by side, changing the Renegade’s posture and expression to match Pink’s. It felt wrong, somehow, that the Rebel Pearl could look so subservient. Normal. But it got the point across.  
“Ok, yes, I get it! Please put that away before someone sees!”  
Blue did so, dismissing both holograms. “You aren't going to tell anyone?”  
But of course she wouldn't. Yellow knew as well as she did what that would mean for their gem type. “There’s no reason to. The war is over and she's gone. I don't even know why you showed me.”  
“You deserved to know.” Blue didn't bother explaining that she couldn't give her Diamond the closure she needed. Yellow could work that out on her own.

Yellow Pearl watched as Peridot 2F5L-5XG attempted to convince their Diamond not to destroy the Earth. It was futile, of course, but fascinating. The Peridot's earlier reports suggested that there may have been survivors of the Crystal Gems, and her erratic behavior was consistent with gems who had turned during the war.  
Yellow Pearl was definitely not eavesdropping. She was simply keeping records for her Diamond of a potential traitor. The hilarity of 5XG losing her limb enhancers, ship, and Yellow Diamond’s prized Jasper had nothing to do with it.  
… Also, there was that flash of movement and whisper of a voice behind the Peridot that sounded suspiciously like a Pearl and Yellow _really_ wanted to know what that was about. The odds of the Renegade surviving were infinitesimal, but who else could it be?  
“Apparently more than you do, you CLOD!”  
Oh _schist_ why would she _say_ that (because she's a traitor) (if she wasn't before then she is now) (if there were Crystal Gems left, they now know about the Cluster) (it’s probably fine; what would they even do with that information anyway?)  
She almost hesitated when her Diamond gave her the order to detonate the communicator. Yellow didn't care much for the Peridot, but if that really was Pink down there...  
She had to do it, though. But if she added a few extra seconds to the timer, her Diamond didn't need to know, right?

Even here in Pink Diamond's Zoo, the ghost of their lost sister haunted them. The facility's Agate was leading a tour for a Sapphire, with her guard Ruby and Pearl following along. Except it was Pink Pearl. And even the Sapphire looked oddly familiar to Blue. Which meant the Ruby was probably _that_ Ruby and all of this was just a mess. _Crystal_ , she mouthed to Yellow. Yellow didn’t reply, but the way she sighed spoke volumes.  
Blue’s relief that Pink was intact didn’t last long. She and Yellow both knew that with the Cluster due to emerge any day now, nowhere was safe for her. The Crystal Gems definitely knew about it, their Sapphire had confirmed that. Was that why they were at the Zoo? It was probably safer than staying on Earth, but only just. Someone could recognize them… Or. Someone _else_ could recognize them. The Agate, if they were unlucky; she would not likely exercise discretion.  
And now part of Blue Pearl wondered why she even cared so much. Pink Pearl had betrayed them, betrayed the Diamonds, and allied herself with the gem who caused her Diamond so much grief for millenia. Really, she should be happy that Pink would finally be destroyed.  
“Ahem.”  
This was all so confusing, Blue didn’t know what to think.  
“AHEM.”  
Blue looked up suddenly. Yellow was glaring impatiently at her, which meant they were probably supposed to do something. Did Yellow Diamond say something about singing? “Uh? Oh.” Okay then.

"And where was her Pearl?!"  
The two Pearls froze in shock. For thousands of years they had kept their sister's betrayal a secret only because they hadn't been asked the right questions. A lie by omission, the only kind they were capable of. This Zircon just asked the one question that they were afraid of. And now that it was said aloud, they were quickly coming to a terrifying realization.  
_You don’t think she did it, do you?_ Yellow tried to convey wordlessly. She didn’t know if Blue understood, but from the disturbed look on her face, she was probably thinking the same thing anyway. _It's impossible. But so is everything else she did._  
How well did they really know her?

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry if my writing's a little rusty. I haven't really written anything since before creating this account 3 years ago. I also don't have a beta and I typed most of this on my phone so if there are any formatting or spelling errors don't hesitate to let me know. This will probably end up being part of a series of loosely-connected one-shots/short chaptered fics, provided I ever get around to writing more of it.


End file.
